How to Handle Rejection and Move Forward

Himanshu Agarwal, 24th October 2017

Almost everyone has faced rejection in one form or the other in his or her lifetime. Rejection is something that happens with everyone but the difference is that some people just deal with it in a better way. For some, rejection means the end of the world and a time full of despair but for others, it is an opportunity for to be a better version of themselves. People who succeed in life are often rejected but they learn to brush it off and try again. Rejection does hurt but you need to learn how to handle them and move on in life because you will get rejected many times. Therefore, we have some food for thought to help you build some motivation and handle rejection in a better way.

1.Accept Your Emotions

Being mentally strong does not mean to be emotionless at all odds. Research has found that it is not healthy psychologically to suppress your emotions and displaying a varied range of emotions is actually better for you. The same is true when you just faced rejection. Learn to admit that getting rejected is bothering you and acknowledge that you are not fine with it. It is ok to be sad and depressed at first while dealing with rejection. You can even cry your hearts out or shout from the rooftops. Try to give an outlet to your emotions and learn to let them all out.

2.Don’t Blame Yourself

Blaming yourself or wallowing in self pity is the worst thing that you could do to yourself. You tried but it did not work out this time—it is completely fine because you will definitely get another opportunity. Almost every successful person we know was rejected at some point but that did not make them doubt their vision. You need to treat yourself better and be more empathetic to your own self. You can reflect back on your mistakes but don’t start criticizing yourself too harshly as it will only hurt you more than your rejection. Reading some motivational quotes can also help.

3.Don’t Let a Single Event Define You

Some people make a single event the whole center point of their life. If by chance they are rejected in that, they get depressed and think their life is not worth anything anymore. This attitude should be avoided at all costs. If you do want a particular thing desperately then brush off rejections concerning the same and try again. The world is your oyster and facing rejection in one event does not in any way mean you won’t get another or even a better opportunity. Therefore don’t get into despair after getting rejected once, pick yourself and get ready for another day.

4.Learn from Your Mistakes

Rejections should be taken as an opportunity to reflect on your actions and determine what worked and what did not work that well. It may sometimes mean you are not meant to do something better or that you need to do something in a different way. Whenever you get rejected at something, take that opportunity to look back and become a better person. Rejections can lead to self growth, if handled properly.

5.Try A Different Path

Many times we face rejection not because we are not good but because we are better at something else that we haven’t tried out. Getting rejected may help you bring your priorities in perspective and make you truly understand your goals. There are many examples of people getting rejected in a particular field but ultimately succeeding in a totally different platform. One famous example is Jack Ma, the CEO and founder of Alibaba who was rejected by Harvard for about eleven times. He ultimately found success as an entrepreneur but this would not have been possible if he had got an acceptance from Harvard. Sometimes rejection is also the universe’s way of telling us that we deserve something better than what we want for ourselves.

So these were the five ways in which you can handle rejection and move towards a better life. The important thing is to remember that you are not alone and this world is full of opportunities just waiting to be discovered. So don’t be disappointed when you face rejections, get up and try again because tomorrow is a new day again.